WASHINGTON, DC, March 10, 2011 – On Monday, March 14, American University Washington College of Law will host the Fourth Annual Freedom of Information Day Celebration. The event will bring together experts from all over the openness-in-government community, and will examine current developments in transparency and government policy. The event is presented by the Collaboration on Government Secrecy.

In the United States, Freedom of Information Day is celebrated on or near the March 16 birth-day of James Madison, considered the “Founding Father of Freedom of Information,” as part of what during recent years has become known as Sunshine Week.

This program is the fourth annual celebration of Freedom of Information Day held by the Washington College of Law’s Collaboration on Government Secrecy, and this year it serves as the lead event commencing Sunshine Week (March 13-20) among related activities by media and public interest groups. Panels of leading experts and distinguished keynote speakers will discuss major issues of current importance to the openness-in-government community, especially in light of big expectations for concrete success in implementation of Obama Administration transparency policies.

This year, CGS is pleased to announce that Professor Alan B. Morrison, Founding Director of Public Citizen Litigation Group, will give this Freedom of Information Day program’s keynote address. He also will be presented with the 2011 “Robert Vaughn FOIA Legend Award,” in recognition of his singular role in influencing the development of the FOIA through litigation over the course of several decades. As the recipient of last year’s FOIA Legend Award, former White House Chief of Staff John D. Podesta has been invited to present this year’s award.

In 1896, American University Washington College of Law became the first law school in the country founded by women. More than 100 years since its founding, this law school community is grounded in the values of equality, diversity, and intellectual rigor. The law school’s nationally and internationally recognized programs (in clinical legal education, trial advocacy, international law, and intellectual property to name a few) and dedicated faculty provide its 1700 JD, LL.M., and SJD students with the critical skills and values to have an immediate impact as students and as graduates, in Washington, DC and around the world. For more information, visit wcl.american.edu.